Thursday December 17, 2009

Glamorize a chandelier for Christmas by hanging crystals, holiday ornaments, or ribbons from each arm. Or lay fresh or artificial evergreen branches on top of the arms and tie bows at the base of each
candle fixture.
Dress up nearly any home accessory with a festive bow. Some ideas include: around lamp bases or candlesticks, around doorknobs stair railings, on goblets or vases, ornaments, as
Christmas tree toppers an garland accents, over doorways or on the top of picture frames.
You can decorate beautifully for Christmas, even with a busy schedule and a small budget. See our list of the top 10 quick ways to bring a holiday look to your home.
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Photo: (c) G. Morton
Wednesday December 16, 2009

Instead of hanging a wreath on your door, use it as the base of a centerpiece for your Christmas table. Use simple decorations to coordinate it with your home decor or tablesetting theme.
You'll see how simple it is to create this beautiful and traditional
Christmas Wreath Centerpiece. Find a large tray or platter, or cut a piece of heavy plastic to place under the wreath.
This will make it much easier to move the wreath centerpiece to change the tablecloth or rearrange the place settings. You'll be protecting the finish on your table at the same time.
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Photo: (c) G. Morton
Tuesday December 15, 2009

Gift wrapping holiday gifts can be a joy -- if done ahead using a generous supply of materials and a little inspiration.
However, it it's left until the last minute and you're scrambling for scissors, tags, and tissue paper, then it's a job that can turn into a stressful chore.
Here are some helpful tips for organizing gift wrapping jobs and some ideas to make your holiday gift wrapping easier.
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Monday December 14, 2009

Whether you're shopping for your Christmas gifts ahead of time or doing some last-minute shopping, you'll find some of our ideas helpful.
Avoid the crowds, spend less money, and find
Christmas gifts that everyone will really appreciate. Try some of these ideas if you like to get your shopping done early, but want to be sure to get it right.
For example, for work colleagues, teachers, neighbors, or a group of friends that you give gifts to, consider giving everyone the same item. It can be a yummy food gift, a seasonal decoration, a favorite book you've just read, or some piece of apparel.
You may feel awkward doing this. If so, get several things and give one to an individual in each group. Then they won't know that you've bought several of the same gift.
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Photo: (c) Dee Ravel